Spied: Hyundai Kona crossover

Hyundai's upcoming entry-level crossover has a name: Kona. Amateur spy shots taken in Portugal have revealed the soft-roader before its official debut.

The South Korean automaker promises the Kona -- which is named after a district on Hawaii's Big Island -- features "true SUV genes, progressive design, and premium features." That's not a lot to go on, but the spy shots (which were published on a Facebook page named Ferd) shed more insight.

The Kona receives a bolder style than many of its stablemates. The LED daytime running lights are positioned a little bit higher than the grille, while the headlights are much lower. These styling cues create a look reminiscent of Nissan's Juke, Jeep's Cherokee, and a handful of recent additions to the Citroen lineup.

Technical specifications remain unconfirmed. All we know at this point is that front-wheel drive will come standard, and all-wheel drive will be offered at an extra cost. The Kona was developed largely for the European market, so both gasoline- and diesel-powered engines will be on the menu.

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Hyundai hopes adding a smaller, more city-friendly crossover to its lineup across the pond will help it reach its goal of becoming the number one Asian brand in Europe by 2021. Whether it will be sold in the United States is up in the air at this point; the company's promotional material places an unusually strong emphasis on the European market.

The 2018 Hyundai Kona will debut this summer, and it will arrive in showrooms before the end of the year. When it lands, it will compete in the same segment as the Toyota C-HR, the Honda HR-V, and the Mazda CX-3, among other cute 'utes.

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